THE IMMERSIVE VIDEO REPORT: How VR, AR, and 360-degree video are shaping the future of content creation

THE IMMERSIVE VIDEO REPORT: How VR, AR, and 360-degree video are shaping the future of content creation

As aversion to advertising continues to grow and as ad-blocking adoption increases across the globe, publishers and brands are turning to immersive video — namely 360-degree video, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) — to win back some of their lost market share.

Immersive video can provide the impactful, emotion-driven storytelling that’s needed to capture the attention of consumers and cut through the saturated ad space.

Already, brands across numerous industries have seen significant success. For example, Hong Kong Airlines’ 360-degree ad was 35 times more effective than the same traditional 2D ad. Meanwhile, Lionsgate’s Blair Witch VR campaign elicited a 57% voluntary replay rate. And consumers are confident in the future of immersive video – 63% of US consumers who’ve tried an immersive experience feel it’s the “next big thing” in video, according to a YuMe study.

In a recent report from BI Intelligence, we break down the benefits of each immersive video format, while outlining the ways in which brands and publishers can implement each format into their digital strategy.

Here are some key points from the report:

Google and Facebook continue to dominate the digital ad space. Excluding Facebook and Google, the digital industry saw a 2% ad revenue decline year-over-year in H1 2016, according to the IAB.

Marketers are falling behind on the consumer shift to mobile. Consumers in the US spent over a third of their total media time on mobile devices in 2016, while only 17% of advertisers’ digital spend went toward mobile.

360-degree video presents an opportunity for advertisers to reach massive audiences, while allowing viewers to engage with ads as they see fit. The format also has the potential to generate longer viewing times.

AR blends the physical and digital worlds. The global AR market is forecast to grow at a nearly 81% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2016 to 2024, according to Global Market Insights.

VR is the most complex experience, but also the most rewarding. VR content was found to elicit higher emotional engagement and longer engagement periods than traditional 2D, according to YuMe and Nielsen. BI Intelligence predicts that global VR headset shipments will increase 359% over the next six years, from 12 million in 2017 to just over 55 million in 2022.

In full, the report:

Highlights the rising popularity of immersive video with consumers and brands.